Main menu

Post navigation

people help the people

I read the news about Ariel Castro’s death earlier today. They found him hanging from the ceiling in his prison cell.

For those who don’t know who Ariel Castro is (WHAT?), here’s a little recap. Castro, 53, was the man infamous for the Cleveland kidnappings of 3 women. He held them captive for over 10 years in his house. (He already sounds like a monster, right?) Castro was charged with a total of 937 criminal counts of rape, kidnapping and aggravated murder. He was only one month into his prison term (he got life in prison PLUS 1000 years) when he killed himself.

You could have easily googled all of that. Let me try and make a point. A friend retweeted a tweet which made me think.

Was I the only one who felt this wasn’t right? No, that’s not it. Was I the only one who felt that we shouldn’t be celebrating the man’s death as a triumph? I know he did all those horrible things (937 of them, to be exact)…but is this what we’re doing now? Are we the kind of people to take joy in the fact that a man took his own life (probably out of guilt/shame more than anything else)?

Some of you are relieved that he’s dead. Some are even happy about this piece of news. A few others may even be angry and think that he got off easy.

Frankly speaking, if he had kidnapped someone I knew, I don’t think I’d be as rational as I am right now. But, I feel pretty clear-headed about how I feel about this (did I confuse you too?).

I was not happy about his death. I saw absolutely no reason for me to be. It was as simple as that. He was a beast of a person, and he committed some horrendous crimes. But I took no solace in his death, nor did I find any joy in his passing. I did not see it as payback. This was not his just desserts. Rather, it was just him adding one more criminal count onto his tally of 937.

He took his own life because he realised he was not able to take anyone else’s. He’ll be punished, that’s for sure. But it wasn’t in the prison that could not contain him. He’s waiting for him somewhere.

Let’s take joy in a perfect cup of coffee. Or in that 2nd place win in Fun Run (that’s the highest I ever got). There’re a thousand and one things to be happy about. Why smile because a man died? Smile at something a little more worth it.